Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Garduño's at the Fiesta - Revisted

Previously, I had written of how Garduño's was bland and tasteless. Due to lame circumstances, we had a return visit. At this attempt, I was determined to find flavor. I got a three item combo. I had the carne adovada, chile relleno, and just a plain ground beef burrito. For those not in the know, carne adovada is a spicy pork concoction. I figured if they were going to fail to provide spice, it would certainly show in the adovada.

Here's a picture of carne adovada. You can see spiciness, no?

I'm pleased to announce that the carne adovada was flavorful and delicious. The chile relleno, having a chile right in the name and in the dish would have to be flavorful as well...and it was. The burrito, my control group, was actually delicious. Little Greg, who just got three tacos, commented that he thought the quality of the food had improved since last time. I have to agree.

One problem with the carne adovada was the large piece of fatty pork I encountered. Small bits of fat are normal and increase flavor, but this was an obviously large piece of fat that any astute cook, not in a hurry, would have removed.

Let's visit the salsa bar. Of course, the salsa bar was one of the things that they always had going for them. The bean dip is always a favorite. I also got the green salsa, which claimed to be "medium" and was made from tomatillo and avocado. I found it to be refreshing like a cucumber. Greg found it to be just a little too hot. I also got the salsa diablo, which they claimed to be "hot". I'm sure it would be hot for Greg, who refused to try it, but I found it to be rather mild. However, it had a delicious smoky, chipotle flavor which I could not deny as flavorful.

I take it all back. Garduño's is no longer a Mexican restaurant for timid, white people. They don't lay heavy on the spice, but they are no longer afraid of flavor. At their prices, it is a good restaurant to visit.